AN army of rats as big as CATS are swarming through the UK, according to officials.

The vermin, who have apparently bulked up by feeding off the current bumper crop of potatoes, are resistant to poison.

Some rats grow over a FOOT in length, while others have grown thick, lustrous fur to enable them to live in cold storage silos where food is plentiful.

Kevin Higgins, of the British Pest Control Association, said rat numbers were soaring by about 15 per cent each year - and the boom was driven by the availability of food.

He said: "We see big rats in cold stores. The rats grow a very thick fur. That can make them look bigger.

"You might see a rat under a pallet that looks as big as a cat."

Pest control services are being swamped with calls to deal with rat infestations thanks to inadequate measures being taken on farms and in city sewers, coupled with greater food resources, like potatoes.